Automatic control for photographic recording machines



Feb. 14, 1933. R. s. HOPKINS 1,397,903

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORDING MACHINES Filed Dec. 29,1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l 52 Roy Sffoplvzms,

0 50 l VW I Feb. 14, 1933. R. s. HOPKINS 1,897,903

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOR PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORDING MACHINES Filed Dec. 29,1928 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 gwuewtor, Roy SHO JimS,

Patented Feb. 14, 1933 PATIENT OFFICE BOY S. HOPKINS, OF ROCHESTER, NEWCOMPANY, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YO YORK, ASSIGNOR T EASTMAN KODAK BK, Acoaroaa'rron ormw roar:

AUTOMATIC CONTROL FOB. PHOTOGRAPHIO RECORDING MACHINES Application filedDecember 29, 1928. Serial No. 329,145.

This invention relates to recording machines and particularly toautomatically controlled photographic recording machines. One object ofmy invention is to provide a machine of the type in which separatedocuments are fed to a conveyor, moved into the focal plane of aphotographing apparatus, and then moved from the focal plane of theapparatus, and to provide a control which will prevent the operation ofthis machine except at suc'li'times as when film is properly positionedin the camera for exposure. Another object of my invention isto providea controlling device which will prevent the operation of the conveyor inmovingv documents into the focal plane of the recording apparatus whenfilm is not. properly positioned for exposure. Still another object ofmy invention is to provide a means for antomatically preventing theoperation of any part of the machine until film is properly positionedfor exposure, and other objects will appear from the followingspecification, the novel features being particularly pointed out in theclaims at the end thereof.

Coming now to the drawings wherein like reference characters denotethroughout:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a recording machine equipped.with an automatic control constructed in accordance with a preferredembodiment of my invention.

Fig.2 is an enlarged detail partly in section showing a preferred typeof switch.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the switch mounting shown in Fig. 1 on asomewhat enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic showing of a switch-operating lever with theparts in position for operating the machine.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation on an enlarged scale of the switch andswitch-operating members shown in Fig. 1.

I" Fig. 6 is a View similar to' Fig. 4 with the parts in an inoperativeposition and,

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic showingof a photographic recording machinewhich may be equipped with my invention.

F Inmy' copending application, Serial No. 237,467 for documentphotographing appalike parts ratus, filed December 3, 1927 a completelay-out of a machine of a type which may be used with the presentinvention as shown. In this application, however, a slightly differenttype of film carrier is used, although the mechanism in the gear box ofthe present invention is the same as that shown in the above mentionedapplication.

Other'features of the photographic recording apparatus for which myautomatic control was particularly designed are shown in two otherapplications filed herewith, Serial N 0. 329,143 for document conveyingand photographing machine, filed Dec. 29, 1928, and Serial No. 329,144for photographic camera and magazine construction, filed Dec. 29, 1928.

Since all of the'details of a photographic recording machine are shownin the above identified patent application and in the two applicationsfiled herewith, I have shown in the present drawings only such parts asare necessary for a complete understanding of the automatic control.

Referring to Fig. 7 where there is 8. diagrammatic showing of a machineof the type described in my other patent applications, a conveyor 1 'isused to move documents from a document-directing means 2 into the focalplane 3 of a recording apparatus. This apparatus is shown broadly at 5and is of a photographic type having an objective 6 and a" film holder7.

The motor 8 supplies power and is constantly rotated when a switch 9 isclosed providing film is properly positioned for exposure. If, however,the film magazine 7 is not in place or if the film has become exhausted,a lever 10 may operate a switch 11 to break the circuit, causingthemotor 8 to stop.

A gear box 12 is provided with gears for intermittently moving a shaft13 which drives suitable sprockets and which, through chains 14 and 15operate the conveyor and therecording machine.

In Fig. 1 a recording apparatus is provided with a support 16 having aseat 17 for a film magazine 18, the magazine being adapted to slide intoposition upon a guiding post 19 and being located by a short 6st 120.This construction is fully describe 1n my copending application, SerialNo. 329,144 above referred to.

The magazine may be held in operative position by means of a clamp 119and may e equipped with a film supply spool 20 and a take-up spool 21,the film passing through suitable driving mechanism from the lower roll'to the top roll, this latter roll' 'being preferabl driven through apower drive consisting o a pulley 22, belt 23 and second pulley 24,which drives a shaft 25 meshing with a shaft in the film ma azine. Thisstructure is also fully describe in my above referred to copendingapplication.

In order to automatically control the motor8, the following mechanism isemployed. On one side of the magazine 18 there is provided a controllingsegment 26, this member being mounted on a shaft 27 passing throughshown by the arrow 6 p the casing and having an arm 28 on the inside ofthe casing with a roller 29 on the end of the arm.

This arm is spring ressed in the direction (Fig. 1) so that the rollerwill be ke t lying against the outer convolution o film F on the supplyreel. On the outside of the casing, shaft 27 carries a pointer arm 30.This arm may move past a scale 31 which indicates the film footage onreel 20. The position of segment 26 is regulated by the position of thearm 28.

As will appear obvious from Fi 1, the. magazine 18 may be slid to and omits support 16 without in any way altering the position of theindicating device and controllin segment 26 above described.

, he support 16 has downwardly extending-arms 32 in which there arebearings 33 as best shown in Fig.3. In these bearings there are a pairof studs 34. These studs have shoulders 35 upon which levers 36 mayfreely turn, levers 36being normally thrust in the direction shown bythe arrow by means of springs 37 as shown in Figs. 1 and 5.

The lower ends 38 of levers 36 contact with a shaft 39 which issupported fixedly in a block 40 by means of the lock nuts 41.

The inner ends 42 of the studs 34 form bearings upon which a yoke 43 mayturn. v This yoke supports the block40.

As best shown in Fig. 2 the block 40 is grooved at 44 and is providedwith a pair of apertures 45. Lying in the groove 44 is a mercury switch46 of a known type, this switch having a pair of terminals 38 and 38a.

When the mercury M covers both terminals as shown in Fig. 2, the circuitis made and when, as shown in Fig. 5, the mercury covers one terminalonly, the circuit is broken.

As will be seen from Fig. 3, the switch may be swung upon its pivots 42by means of the .lever 36, it may contact with the shaft 39. Levers 36may be moved by studs 47 which lie in the path of the segments 26 andthe position of these segments controls the zinc is used, a segment 26is provided on.one

sideso that botlf' arms 36 may be used to control the mercury switch.

Referring to Fig. 4, if the full magazine is slid into position on thesupport 16, the

segment 26 will present a rounded periphcry 49 to the stud 47 of arm 36and this lever will be.- swung against the force of spring 37 intoposition shown in Fig. 4. This will hold the mercury switchsubstantially in the position shown in Fig. 2 wherein the contact ismade.

To operate the machine it is then only necessary to close switch 9. Thiswill cause the motor 8 to run and will cause the conveyor 1 and thephotographing machine 5 to be intermittently operated.

As the film is gradually used up, the film will permit the controllingdisc. 49 to turn until the stud 47 rides up the inclined surface 50until the osition shown in Fig. 6 is reached at which thrust so far tothe right of the supporting stud 34 that the mercury switch 46 will bemoved to the full line position of Fig. 5 in which the circuit isbroken. Surfaces 49 and 50 form a cam with'which stud 47 contacts.

As will be indicated in Fig. 5, two

59 arate means are provided for-operating d;

switch 46. In this figure it should be noticed that the lower end 38 oflever 36 does not contact with the shaft 39, since this shaft has beenmoved from member 38 by meansp a disc 56 pivoted at 57 to a bracket 58supported by the top 59 of the recording machine.

Disc 56 may be moved into three positions. The position shown in Fig. 1is the normal operating position. In this position the spring latch60engages a notch 61 in the.

position the shaft 39 is periphery of the disc. When, however, the Idisc is turned to an oif position notch 62 is engaged by the springlatch 60.

' The third position is for causing the machine to be operatedcontinuously and this is accomplished through holding the handle 64 asfar to the right (Fig. 1) as is possible.

This merely holds the switch 46 in a position in position to break thecircuit, this being the position that is obtained by thrusting thehandle 64 as far to the left possible, so that the spring latch 60 willengage notch 62. When the switch member 64 is moved to the positionshown in Fig. l in full lines, the switch block 40 is permitted to swingback to the position shown in a dash and dot line (Fig. 5 in whichposition the movement is stopped y means of pin 35 coming into contactwith arm 38 of lever 36.

With the mechanism above described, it will be evident that placing thefilm magazine 18 in the recording mechanism and seating the magazine inits seat 17 .causes the. controlling disc 26 to contact with the stud 47of arm 36 and thus position the switch 46 for operation.

If there is sufiicient film in the magazine, the switch 46 will beheldin an operative position to make the circuit providing the magazine isproperly seated. If it is not properly seated, the switch cannot be moveto an operative position.

So long as film remains on the supply roll, switch 46 will continue tomake the circuit but when the film becomes exhausted, the parts assumethe position shown in Fig. 6 and the switch 46 is locked upon itspivotal support 42 breaking the circuit. This, by stopping the motor,not only stops the operation of the recording camera, but also stops themovement of the conveyor so that the documents can no longer be fed intothe chute 2 and this will immediately call the attention of an operatorto the fact that afresh supply of film is required. It is, therefore,impossible to continue to feed docu-' ments into the machine forrecording under the impression that they are being photogra hed.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1; In a camera including operativemechanism, a power drive for the operative mechanism, a removablymounted magazine adapted to carry film on supply and take-up spindles,connections between the power driven camera mechanism and the take-upspindle and means carried by the magazine and automatically cooperatingwiih the camera through movement of the magazine into the camera forcontrolling the power drive.

2. In a camera including operative mech-- anism, a power drive for theoperative mechanism, a removably mounted magazine adapted to containfilm on supply and take-up spindles, connections between the powerdriven camera mechanism and the take-up spin- (Fig. 1) as is' dle, amovably mounted controller carried by the magazine and adapted to movein accordance with the amount of film in the magazine, and means on thecamera adapted to be automatically engaged by said controller throughmovement of the magazine into the camera and adapted to be regulatedthrough the controller for controlling the powerdrive.

3. he camera including operative mechanism, a power drive for theoperative mechanism, a removably mounted magazine adapted to carry filmon supply and take-up spindles, connections between the take-up spindleand the power driven .camera mechanism, a cam mounted on the magazine, ashaft supporting the cam passing through the magazine, connectionsbetween the shaft and the coil of film carried by the magazine formoving the cam, and means lying in the path of the cam adapted to beautomatically engaged by-moving the magazine into the camera and adaptedto be operated by said cam for controlling the power drive.

In a camera including an operative mechanism, a power drive for theoperative mechanism of the camera, a removably mounted magazine adaptedto carry film on supply and take-up spindles, connections between thetake-up spindle and the power operated camera mechanism, a cam mountedon a shaft passing through the magazine, an arm carried by the shaft andmeans on the end of the shaft adapted, to contact with the film carriedby the magazine, a swinging switch arm mounted on the camera and adaptedto contact with the cam carried by the mag-- azine whereby the powerdrive may be controlled through the film in the magazine.

5. In a camera including operative mechanism, a magazine adapted to beseated thereon and to contain a take-up and supply spindle and filmattached thereto, a power drive for the camera mechanism, connectionsbetween the power driven camera mechanism and the take-up spool, a filmcontacting member adapted to move as film is moved relative to a spool,a controller operable through the film contacting member, a pivotedmercury switch included in a circuit controlling the power drive andmeans for moving the switch through the controller.

6. In a camera including operative mechanism, a power drive for thecamera operating mechanism, a magazine adapted to be seated on thecamera and to contain film, a pair of film supports, means for movingone film support, connections between said movable film support and saidpower driven camera mechanism, a film contacting member adapted to bemoved as the film is moved relative to the film supports, a controlleroperable through the film contacting member, a pivoted mercury switchincluded in a circuit controlling the power drive, and means for movingthe switch through the controller,

a second means for moving the switch includ ing a handle adapted to bemanually actuated, 7. In a camera including operative mecha= nism, apower drive for the operative mechanism, a magazine adapted to be seatedon i the camera and to contain film, film supports carried by themagazine, connections between i one film support and the cameramechanism adapted to be driven by power, a film contact- 19 ing memberadapted to be moved as film is moved from one support to the other, acontroller operable through the film contacting member, a pivotedmercury switch included in a circuit controlling the power drive, 35means for moving the switch through the controller, a second means formoving the switch including a handle adapted to be manually actuated,the connections between the two means for moving the switch and the piv-29 oted mercury switch being such that the second mentioned means isoperable only whgn the controller is in position to be operate 8. In acamera including operative mechanism, a power drive for the operativemechanism, a magazine adapted to be seated on the camera and to containa coil of film, a pair Y of supports adapted to support the film, onesupport being adapted to be rotated by pow- 30 er, connections betweenthe rotatable support and the power driven camera mechanism, a filmcontacting member adapted to be moved as film is'moved from one supportto the other, a controller operable through the film contacting member,a pivoted mercury switch includediin a circuit controlling the powerdriving means for moving the'switch through the controller, a secondmeans for moving the switch including a handle adapted to be man- 40ually actuated at a lost motion connection between the second means formoving the switch and whereby the first switch operating means may moveindependently of the second switch operating means. Signed at Rochester,New York this 21st.

day'o'f December, 1928. V ROY S. HOPKINS. I

